How a-peeling: London goes mad for marmalade ahead of Paddington's arrival

With the grey of winter settling in, a much-needed pop of orange has hit London’s dining tables. Marmalade is back, not just on toast but adding bittersweet bite to macaroons and cocktails.

In celebration of the film about London’s most famous champion of the spread, due out on November 28, Aqua Shard is serving Paddington Bear afternoon tea. It comes in a suitcase and features a macaroon filled with glistening orange conserve. For the full experience, dare to look down from the 31st floor of the skyscraper and try to spot the statue of Paddington outside.

Over at Lancaster London you can try Paddington Elevenses, with orange and apple marmalade; but purists should head to Balthazar Boulangerie, where marmalade glaze comes on slabs of lightly spiced bread.

For those who prefer their jam with a kick, The Fable is doing a roaring trade in Pisco Marmalade Fizz, served with a mini marmalade sandwich. Worship Street Whistling Shop, meanwhile, does wonderful things with Chase marmalade vodka. The Hix bar combines it with whisky. Apparently the hangover is less vicious because this spread is full of vitamin C — sailors’ wives used to pack their husbands off to sea with jars of it to prevent scurvy.

Tonight at the Islington Metal Works, The Syrian Supper Club is hosting a whole party based around the sticky jam — MarmalAid. When the supper club’s co-founders Rose Lukas and Louisa Barnett lived in Damascus, among the orange blossom, they made vats of it with local women. Now they are bringing the same recipe to London to raise money for victims of the conflict in Syria. Lindsey Hilsum will be talking at the event and the Hackney Colliery band, who played at the Olympic closing ceremony, will provide the soundtrack. Tickets are £37.30 and this includes a seven course feast from boutique caterer Peardrop London — Stella McCartney and Orlando Bloom are fans of founder Rose Lloyd Owen’s delicate creations. All proceeds go to prosthetic limb clinics run by Syria Relief and to Médecins Sans Frontières. Once you’ve stocked up, Marmalade: A Bittersweet Cookbook, Sarah Randell’s new guide dedicated to the stuff, is essential reading.

How very a-peeling.